Loading and transporting device



Aug. 24, 1948. B. PHILLIPS ET AL 2,447,959

LOADING AND TRANSPORTING DEVICE- Filed Feb. 28, 1947 5 Sheets-Shee t 1 u S\ .Ben Phillia L Marl Phillipa ATTDRN EYS mum g" 1943- I B. PHILLIPS ET AL 2,447,959

' LOADING AND TRANSPORTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NVENTOR-S en P/zz'ZZz'pw erle Phillipa ATTCI RN EYS 1948- B. PHILLIPS ET AL 2,447,959

LOADING AND TRANSPORTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 II! II Il ll II II IH'IIIII IHI I! II II Hlll Illlll INVENTORJ' Ben Phillipa Merle P/zz'llw Patented Aug. 24, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOADING AND TRANSPORTING DEVICE Ben Phillips and Merle Phillips, Planada, Calif.

Application February 28, 1947, Serial No. 731,602

The present invention relates to an improved loading device and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts herein described and claimed.

The invention contemplates the provision of a machine for transporting stacks of trays and then, at the will of the operator, transferring them to the ground one at a time. It also contemplates the provision of mechanical means for picking up trays one at a time and transporting the completed stack from one place to another.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved means whereby the lowermost tray of a stack of trays carried in an apparatus may be mechanically removed therefrom.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means whereby a tray may be mechanically removed from the ground and placed upon the bottom of a stack of trays.

A further object of the invention is the provision of novel mechanical movements for accomplishing the aforementioned objects.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an apparatus embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof,

Figures 3 to 6, inclusive, are fragmentary views illustrating the operation of a certain phase of the invention, and

Figure '7 is a fragmentary plan view illustrat- I ing certain details of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown therein an embodiment of the invention comprising a framework having a lower base portion Ill of generally rectangular shape a plurality of uprights H attached thereto and an upper base portion l2 carried by the uprights ll. Upon the upper base portion I2 is mounted a source of power l3, preferably an internal combustion engine, provided with a horizontally extending shaft M, the outer extremity of which is provided with a bevel gear I5 which is enmeshed with a bevel gear IE carried at the upper end of a transmission shaft ll which is adapted to transmit power to wheels I8 through a universal l9 and axles 20. A gear shifting device 2| is also provided on the upper base 12 and has the customary gear shift lever '22.

Horizontally extending from the upper end of the source of power I3 is a shaft 23 adapted to be driven by the motor B. The shaft 23 is connected into a gear shifting device 24 provided 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-65) with the customary shifting lever 25 and a driven shaft 26 protrudes from the free end of the gear shifting device. The driven shaft 26 terminates in a pair of sprockets 21 and 28 over which are trained, respectively, drive chains 29 and 30. The chain 29 is trained over a sprocket 3| carried by one end of a crank shaft 32 revolubly mounted horizontally in the side of the framework and the chain is trained over a like sprocket 33 carried by a like crank shaft mounted in the other side of the framework.

The framework carries a pair of dirigible wheels 34 at the opposite end of the framework from wheels l8. Pick-up arms are provided and consist of a relatively long vertical inner member 40, a relatively short vertical outer member M, a horizontally extending member 42, a diagonally extending member 43 interconnecting the lower end of the outer member 4i and points adjacent the bottom of the inner member and a diagonally extending member 44 interconnecting the juncture between members 41 and 43 and the upper inner juncture of the members 40 and 42. Adjacent the upper and outer corner of the pick-up arm structure is provided a bearing 45 which surrounds a crank 46 carried by crank arms 41 in the shaft 32. The lower ends of the pick-up arms are provided with inwardly extending feet 48. Adjacent the inner sides of the uprights l l at either end of the shaft 32 is mounted a cam 49 which is adapted, in each case, to bear against a roller 50 carried by the framework immediately below the cam. The shaft 32 is revolubly mounted in the uprights il in slots 5| which will allow for vertical movement of the shaft against the action of a spring 52 intercon necting the shaft and a horizontally extending cross bar 53 attached to the uprights II at the lower end of the framework. It will be understood that the crank shaft upon the other side of the framework is similarly constructed, similarly mounted and similarly provided with pickup arms and a spring. Steering handles 54 and 55 are provided with vertical extensions of the rearmost uprights H. A cam 56 is carried by the shaft 32 and is adapted to actuate a lever 51 which is pivotally mounted as indicated at 58 and has its upper end 59 attached to suitable linkage 50, 6| and 62 whereby vertically extending arms 63 and 64 are moved inwardly and outwardly. The arms 63 and 64 are each provided with a series of tray retaining fingers B5 and 65, respectively.

In operation it will be apparent that the operator of the apparatus will first start the motor l3 and then through lever 22 causing power to be transmitted to the wheels l3. Steering is accomplished by placing his hands upon the handles 54 and 55, the wheels 3 responding to the operators pressure thereupon when it is desired to stop it is only necessary to place the gear lever 22 in neutral position. If it is desired to deposit a tray from a stack carried within the apparatus by means of the fingers 65 and 66 the lever 25 is moved to the-proper-position and held there for a suflicient'length of time until through shaft 26 and chains 29 and 39 suifi-cient movement has been imparted to the shafts 32 (and like shaft upon the other side of the apparatus) to cause an? entire revolution of said shafts. This will cause the upper ends of the pick-up arms-to'be'revolved by the cranks 46. However, sincethewcamsw ifi ride upon the rollers 59, the feet 48 will remain in a relatively stationary, position with respect to the ground while being withdrawn horizontallyrfrom beneath the: traysrdue to'the' fact that during a portion of .fthe '5 lifting" of the: pick up arms with respect toithe. shaft 32, thershaftitself is 'beingemovcd downwardly by. thelaction'of the spring 52 and the depressions in' the cams Y 29; Uponiifurther revolution" of the shaft '32:.the pickup arms will be'rlifted vertically withiresp'ect to the "ground'and-again have their feet ia returned to 1 a position beneath the .nextupper tray. A study'of Figures fiito :6, inclusive, willillustrate these movements. While this is occurring, through the action of cam fifi an'd the levers and linkage 51," 59, GQLGF-and EZithe fingers 65"and 66" will h'ave beenwithdrawn and again replaced between the separate trays.

Whilebuton'e form of the invention has been sliown' and' described" herein, it wilibe readily apparent to those skilled'in the art that'many minor modifications may be made without departing'from thespirit'of the invention or the scope 'of the appended claims.

What is claimed" is:

1.' An'app'aratus of the' character described". comprising a frame, drivewheels'and" dirigible' wheels' mounted upon the frame, meanscarri'ed by'the frame for carrying a plurality'of' trays, meanscarried on the" frame for "selectively -pick-" ing'up an-ddepositing' a single tray with relation to the ground, said means including crankshafts carried by the frame, cranks up'on'the crankshafts, pick-up arms having tray engaging feet carried by the cranks, means for retaining said feet at a constantdistance from the ground while engaging and disengaging thefeetwith the trays, means 1 for individually supporting said means for trays stacked in the apparatus while the feet are engaging and disengaging with the single tray, means for releasing said last-mentioned means when said single tray is moved vertically, a source of power carried on the frame and suitable transmissions and gear shifting mechanisms for transferring power to the drive wheels and the pick-up and deposit and supporting means.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a frame, drive wheelstandidirigible wheels mounted upon the'frame, means carried by the frame for carrying a plurality of trays, means carried on the frame for selectively pick ing upr'and depositing a single tray with relation to the ground, said means including crankshafts carried by-the frame, cranks upon the crankshaftapick-uparms having tray engaging feet carried by the cranks, means for retaining said'feet at-a constant distance from the ground while engaging and disengaging the feet with the trays, .means for individually supportingitrays stackediinrthe; apparatus while: the feet are en=- gaging and disengaging with' the. single tray,

means for releasing. saidv laste-m'entionedt means ;when-= said single tray: is moved vertically, a

source of power carried on theiframe'andsuitab'le transmissionsandigear shifting mechanisms fortransferring poweritoythedrive' wheels and the' pick-up and. deposit: and"- supporting m'ean'sindividually supporting the stacked trays including a pair of vertically'ezfitending arms carriedby the'frame 'at either: inner sidethereof, a plurality of Spaced inWardIydi rected tray-engaging-fingers on eachof said' arms and means for horizontally moving said arms" whereby said fingers engage and disengage" the stacked 1 trays;

BEN PHILLIPS; MERLEPHILLIPS.

REFERENCE S; CITED? ihe following references. are of .record; in. the file of th.is' patent:.

UNITED STATES 'PA'TENTSC'? Number Name Date:

1,734,330 Grab vNov. 5,192!) 1,777,019 Samuelsson Sept. 30, 1930- 2,259,558 Evans ..Oct..21, 1941. 2,410,965 Dimick Nov. 12,1946. 2,424,442 Elsner' July,22,' 19147 FOREIGN. PATENTS Number Country Date 512,935- Great Britain Sept; 29,- 1939 

